1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fuse-puller holding structure configured to hold a fuse puller by a projection or the like inside an electrical connection box, for example. The fuse puller is used to detach a fuse attached to the electric connection box or the like of an automobile.
2. Description of Related Art
A blade-type fuse is used for an electrical connection box such as a fuse box of an automobile. Particularly, the blade-type fuse used for the automobile is provided in a narrow space, so it is not easy to detach the fuse by putting a hand into such a narrow space at the time of replacement or the like of the fuse. In view of this, inside the electrical connection box, a fuse puller, which is a tool used to detach the fuse, is often held by a projection or the like. An example of a holding structure for the fuse puller is described, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 03-55636 (JP 03-55636 U).
A fuse-puller holding structure described in JP 03-55636 U has a structure for holding a fuse puller at two parts in its longitudinal direction. First, the fuse puller is configured such that two clip pieces are connected by a curved spring connection portion provided on a rear side of an intermediate part of the fuse puller, and includes a mounting hole (a round-hole) formed between the two clip pieces along the curve of the spring connection portion, a hook portion that sandwiches a head of a blade-type fuse provided on a tip side, and a stopper portion provided on a rear side. A holding portion for such a fuse puller includes: a tip-side projection that holds two clip pieces of the hook portion of the fuse puller so as to sandwich them from outside; a rear-side projection that holds two clip pieces of the stopper portion of the fuse puller so as to expand them from inside; and a support (a columnar projection) inserted into the mounting hole of the fuse puller.
According to the fuse-puller holding structure described in JP 03-55636 U, the fuse puller is held with a predetermined strength due to the two clip pieces of the hook portion being sandwiched from outside, due to the two clip pieces of the stopper portion being expanded from inside, and due to a falling-off prevention operation by the support with respect to the mounting hole between the two clip pieces.
In the meantime, it is necessary for the holding portion of the fuse-puller holding structure to stably hold the fuse puller for a long period while the holding portion is affected by shaking of an automobile. The fuse puller is often made from a resin member. On this account, the support is provided with a falling-off prevention engagement portion that locks the fuse puller with a high retentive force so as to secure a stronger falling-off prevention operation (retentive force) in the engagement portion. However, if such a falling-off prevention operation is too strong, a strong force is required to detach the fuse puller, which impairs its convenience. For example, FIGS. 5, 6 illustrate a holding structure in which an electrical connection box 20 is provided with a support 110 and a tip-end support portion 40. As illustrated in FIG. 5, when a force is applied to detach a fuse puller 100 held by the support 110, if a lifted part of the fuse puller 100 is caught by an engagement portion 120, it is difficult to smoothly detach the fuse puller 100. Further, as illustrated in FIG. 6, if the support 110 is largely inclined because the lifted part of the fuse puller 100 cannot go over the engagement portion 120, a large load is applied to the support 110 itself, which may cause deformation, breakage, or the like in its root portion 130.